I had mixed feelings towards new KARFAGEN CD. I remember how euphoric I was with their debut, mostly because it was the first Prog CD from Ukrainian artist I reviewed! But later my euphoria sapped, and I felt awkward with “The Space between Us”.

But they have managed to do their best. Now with bigger line-up, Anton continued to walk the path of their debut (CAMEL meets ALAN PARSONS), but without new-agy approach. This time sound is enriched with accordion and bluesy guitar solos, and some tracks are simply flawless (like wonderful “Retrofall” ballad), while other filled with ridiculous pseudo-intellectual chat samples (didn’t like that trick). Mostly short but varied pieces, some are riff-based, some are not (like that piano-only track that I, to be fairly honest, dislike ), but Anton still proves his melodic gift. Maybe not everyone’s cup of tea due to its easy-listening approach, but still enjoyable and recommended record.

Karfagen returns with their second release on Unicorn Digital called The Space Between Us. They basically continue in a similar style to their debut Continium, which was a laid back variety of progressive rock that reminded me of bands like Pink Floyd, Camel, Alan Parsons Project and similar bands. They utilized a lot of keyboards, a rhythm section kept a mellow backbeat. Just like the debut, the music is mostly instrumental.

While there’s nothing that standout, this is a very solid release. In some ways I like it better than the debut. There seems to be more going on as well with some world music and other elements that keep my interest. I found I had a better experience with this album while listening with headphones.

This band is for those that like to explore via the lighter side of progressive rock and recommended for the fans of the aforementioned bands. This is the perfect relaxing album especially after a long day at stressful social environments.